Reading List
Format: E-Book
The Dover Trunk Murder (Fortress Dover Book 1)
By Nathan Dylan Goodwin
Description:
Newly transferred from Scotland Yard, Detective Inspector Edwin Dalloway has barely set foot in his Dover lodgings when the case is handed to him. With ghosts he carries from his old life, he sets out to find the killer with the help of his new small department: Detective Sergeant Max Heller, Detective Constable Percy Fox, and an ambitious young clerk, Lily Somerset, who is determined to become Dover’s first female detective. But in a town gripped by spy fever, Dalloway cannot be certain whom he can trust—not the press, not the Watch Committee, and perhaps not even the men and women serving beside him.
As war breaks out across Europe and Dover transforms into a citadel town, Dalloway begins to suspect that the case in front of him touches something older and more powerful than the war itself—and that solving it may cost more than he is prepared to give.
Format: Paperback
Ancestoring: Understanding Records, Family, and Ourselves: Understanding Records, Family, and Ourselves: Understanding Records, Families, and Ourselves
By Darcie Hind Posz
This wasn’t the book I thought I was going to read, but it turned out to be the book I needed. The author structures the book around three parts: understanding records, understanding family, and understanding ourselves. Rather than another how-to for finding more documents, it asks us to slow down and think about what we’re doing with the evidence once we already have it.
The idea that stuck with me most is her point that a person’s life can’t be reduced to only the moments that left a record behind. That reframed how I think about the gaps in a research file: it’s not just missing evidence, it’s missing life. This book has changed how I research other people and how I want to tell my own story. If you’re looking for something that challenges you as a researcher rather than handing you another checklist, this one’s worth the read.
A review copy was provided by Genealogical Publishing Company.
Format: Kindle
The Painter’s Fire: A Forgotten History of the Artists Who Championed the American Revolution
By Zara Anishanslin
I began reading The Painter’s Fire expecting a broad look at artists who supported the American Revolution. What I found instead was a more specific and, honestly, more interesting book: a deep dive into the lives of Robert Edge Pine, Prince Demah, and Patience Wright, with Phillis Wheatley playing a major role throughout. The book is really about enslaved, Black, and female artists navigating the American Revolution, though that focus wasn’t clear from the description or title.
That mismatch made for a difficult read at times because I wasn’t prepared for the direction the book would take. Once I adjusted my expectations, though, I found the historical detail genuinely engaging. Anishanslin does excellent work weaving these lesser-known figures into the larger story of the Revolution, and I came away with a richer sense of just how many people, in how many different circumstances, shaped that era.
I’d recommend this book to anyone interested in Revolutionary-era history, but go in knowing it’s a more specific and personal story than the title implies.
Format: Kindle
Democracy’s Data: The Hidden Stories in the U.S. Census and How to Read Them
By Dan Bouk
Democracy’s Data offers a fascinating deep dive into the 1940 U.S. Census. Rather than simply explaining the questions on the schedule, the book explores the historical context behind them, showing how the Great Depression, New Deal policies, the impending WWII, and changing ideas about employment, migration, and education shaped the information collected. For family historians, this book provides valuable insight into why certain questions appear in the 1940 census and how those details can help place our ancestors within the broader story of American society during a pivotal moment in the nation’s history. Engaging and informative, Democracy’s Data encourages readers to look beyond the names on the page and better understand the historical forces behind the records we use every day.
Format: Paperback
Genealogy in Reverse: Finding the Living. A Practical Guide for All Genealogists
By Cheri Hudson Passey
Genealogy in Reverse is a practical and genuinely useful resource that I thoroughly enjoyed. The book does an excellent job of shifting the traditional genealogical mindset, offering thoughtful strategies for researching living people while emphasizing ethics, accuracy, and sound methodology. I appreciated how accessible the guidance is—useful for experienced genealogists as well as those newer to this type of research—without oversimplifying the challenges involved. The examples and step-by-step approaches make the concepts easy to apply in real research scenarios. Overall, this is a strong addition to any genealogist’s library and a valuable tool for anyone working with modern records or trying to locate and understand living individuals within a family history context.
A review copy was provided by Genealogical Publishing Company.
Format: Kindle
Hill of Secrets: A Novel
By Galina Vromen
Hill of Secrets is an engaging historical novel set against the tense and fascinating backdrop of Los Alamos during the development of the atomic bomb, and I enjoyed being immersed in that cloistered, high-pressure world. The setting and atmosphere are particularly well done, capturing both the secrecy and the moral unease of the era. My main reservation is the characterization of Christine, who often comes across as overly self-absorbed, making it harder for me to fully connect with her journey. While her affair with Kurt didn’t derail the narrative, it did feel uncomfortable and “icky” in a way that distracted from the larger historical and emotional stakes. Overall, Hill of Secrets is an interesting piece of historical fiction with a compelling setting, even if some of the character choices limited my engagement.
Format: Kindle
Trial by Ambush: Murder, Injustice, and the Truth about the Case of Barbara Graham
By Marcia Clark
Trial by Ambush was a gripping, eye-opening read—I knew almost nothing about the case going in. I picked it up as a Prime First Read through Amazon Prime, which made it feel like an unexpected discovery rather than something I’d gone looking for. Marcia Clark lays out the facts with clarity and restraint, carefully unpacking the media pressure, legal strategy, and systemic imbalance at play without ever tipping into sensationalism.
Having grown up in Southern California, I was surprised this case had never crossed my radar (I wasn’t born yet when the crime occurred). It became even more personal when I learned that my husband’s uncle was the first officer on the scene. Thoroughly researched and compellingly written, Trial by Ambush left me thinking about just how fragile our justice system can be.
Format: Kindle
The Unclaimed: Abandonment and Hope in the City of Angels
By Pamela Prickett and Stefan Timmermans
The Unclaimed: Abandonment and Hope in the City of Angels affected me more deeply than I expected. As a reader, I found myself slowing down, sitting with the stories, and thinking about the people behind the policies and procedures we rarely question. Pamela Prickett’s writing never feels intrusive or performative; instead, it invites quiet reflection and genuine empathy, which made the experience both sobering and meaningful. I finished the book feeling more aware of how easily people can be forgotten, and more conscious of the small but powerful ways dignity and care can still exist. It’s one of those rare books that stays with you, not because it shocks, but because it asks you to see.
Format: Paperback
If You Only Knew: Navigating DNA Surprises and the *NPE (Not-Parent Expected) World
By Lezlee Liljenberg
If You Only Knew is a thoughtful and compassionate exploration of the emotional terrain that follows unexpected DNA discoveries, including learning about unknown biological parents or siblings. What stood out to me as a reader is how the author balances deeply personal storytelling with practical, grounding guidance, never minimizing the shock or grief, but also never leaving the reader without hope. The book creates a safe, affirming space to sit with complicated emotions while gently encouraging resilience, clarity, and self-compassion. Whether you are navigating an NPE discovery yourself or trying to better understand and support someone who is, If You Only Knew is an insightful and reassuring resource that brings much-needed light to a subject too often kept in the dark.
Format: E-book
The Hollywood Strangler: A Venator Cold Case #3
By Nathan Dylan Goodwin
The Hollywood Strangler is a gripping blend of suspense, detective work, and the cutting-edge science of investigative genetic genealogy (IGG). The book takes readers on a thrilling journey as the Venator team tackles a gruesome string of murders tied to Hollywood’s golden era. The author expertly weaves together dual timelines, balancing the sinister allure of 1980s Los Angeles with the relentless pace of a modern IGG investigation. For fans of crime thrillers and genealogy enthusiasts, The Hollywood Strangler is a masterfully crafted tale that keeps readers hooked until the very last page.
A review copy of this book was provided by the author.
Format: Kindle
Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI
By Ethan Mollick
Like it or not, AI is here, probably to stay. In this book, Ethan Mollick, a Wharton professor and author, suggests that we learn to live and work with AI as if it is an alien “co-intelligence,” and he offers a variety of strategies and scenarios for making a successful switch to this “cyborg” existence. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and feel I have a better understanding of how to use AI now and in the future. If you plan to incorporate AI into your life, I strongly recommend giving this book a read.
Format: Kindle
American Child Bride: A History of Minors and Marriage in the United States
By Nicholas L. Syrett
American Child Bride is a meticulously researched and deeply thought-provoking examination of the history of so-called “child” marriages in the United States. Drawing on legal records, personal narratives, and careful cultural analysis, the author reveals how widespread and normalized these practices were across regions and time periods. Rather than treating the subject as an anomaly, the book shows how social, legal, and economic forces worked together to justify and sustain these marriages for generations. Clear, unsettling, and illuminating, American Child Bride is an essential read for family historians and researchers seeking a fuller understanding of the legal frameworks and social customs that shaped marriage in American history.
Format: Kindle
The American Census: A Social History (Second Edition)
By Margo J. Anderson
I am fascinated by the political and social reasons behind the creation of documents we use as family historians. The U.S. census is one of our most frequently used documents, but how often do we think about WHY certain questions were asked? What was happening in the country? Which party was in power, and how did the answers benefit them politically? What were the current social concerns? How did technological advances affect the census? These questions – and more – are answered in Anderson’s book. If you are a census nerd like me, this book will be an interesting and enjoyable read!
Format: Kindle
I Know Who You Are: How an Amateur DNA Sleuth Unmasked the Golden State Killer and Changed Crime Fighting Forever
By Barbara Rae-Venter
I was in high school in Southern California when the monster now known as the Golden State Killer began his crime spree. More than 40 years later, the man who thought he’d gotten away with it all is finally behind bars, thanks to Investigative Genetic Genealogy (IGG) and the tenacious work of Barbara Rae-Venter. In the book, Rae-Venter describes the techniques she used to identify him, as well as unidentified persons, unclaimed remains, and other violent criminals. This is a must-read for anyone interested in IGG.
Format: Paperback
Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI
By David Grann
This book was gifted to me by the amazing Gena Philibert-Ortega, who said it was an important book I needed to read. And of course, she was right (as usual). Killers of the Flower Moon is an incredible, horrifying story about the murders of members of the Osage Nation in the 1920s and how that mystery was eventually solved despite government failures and cover-ups.
You may have seen the movie, but you need to read the book. I couldn’t put it down.
